Herencia Taina

Herencia Taina is a fascinating, somewhat outdated documentary on the Taino legacy in Puerto Rico. Associated with Ricardo Alegría and featuring Jalil Sued Badillo and other scholars as consultants, one can already guess that the film promotes the tripartite identity of the Puerto Rican people. It posits that the Taino legacy in Puerto Rico is both biological and cultural. That cannot be denied, although some have rightfully criticized the way this "tri-racial" heritage has been deployed in official discourse. We assume the inclusion of commentary on women and their role in Taino society and domestic life was perhaps shaped by Sued Badillo while Alegría's dominant position framed the general portrayal of Taino society. Anyway, the brief documentary is an interesting example of how Puerto Rican media (and corporate sponsors) incorporate the indigenous past of Puerto Rico into modern national identity.